


Biology is an Interesting Thing

by swancest



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Alien Romance, Aliens, Other, Teratophilia, alien boyfriend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swancest/pseuds/swancest
Summary: You are part of the science division on the USS Shenzhou, with chief science officer lieutenant commander Saru, the one and only Kelpien of Starfleet. You want to get to know the commander better, but... Is this merely curiosity, or something more?





	1. Anatomy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!! its been a while since I've uploaded anything, sorry. XD;; I just really wanted to write something like this, even if the series is new (and not that great tbh lmao). Sorry if I got anything wrong!! I decided to set this before all the action happened (don't wanna spoil anything here), so that's why we're still on the Shenzhou. ;v;

You were in the research lab, taking a look at some DNA samples your landing party had collected yesterday on a new planet. You specialized in biology so this was a normal thing to you- looking at "new" living things and finding out what made them work. What exactly made them what they are. As you looked down the microscope, you heard the door to the room slide open. You stood up straight to see lieutenant commander Saru, the chief science officer of the ship you currently served on- the USS Shenzhou.

"Hello, commander," you said and nodded your head slightly as Saru waltzed over to your work station.

"Good morning, lieutenant. I see you're hard at work already." Saru stood beside you, tilting his head down to see you in-full. Saru, you see, was of a species known as the Kelpiens. Compared to humans, they were enormously tall. You stood a decent amount below shoulder height to the commander; something you found embarrassing but something that Saru didn't even seem to notice. You looked up to the taller man and gave him a smile.

"These samples are so intriguing, I just had to look at them. I would have yesterday, but the storm on that planet did me in pretty good," you chuckled a little. Saru nodded, giving a small sound of amusement.

"Yes, well, it's good to see you delving into work right away. We need more like you, lieutenant." Saru spoke as he gestured to the microscope, indicating that he wanted to take a look.

"Thank you, commander," you replied and sidled, allowing him to have space to look down the scope. Saru stepped in front of the microscope and peered down the glass with his piercing blue eyes. You watched him, studying his features. You had never seen a Kelpien- then again, no one else really had before- so seeing him up close was fascinating to a biologist like you. Saru's skin was a pale-pink colour, making you wonder if perhaps his whole species was of the same colouration. His ears were almost flat to the side of his head, and upon his whole face he had intricate ridges and crevices running along his flesh. Running directly from his ears, there were deeper crevices. These were apparently where his "threat ganglia" were located. You hadn't seen them for yourself, but you heard others that usually worked on the Bridge talking about them one day. They sounded fascinating- you had to see them for yourself.

"You're quite right, lieutenant, these samples are very intriguing," Saru inferred as he straightened up from the microscope.

"...Lieutenant?" The Kelpien tiled his head at you, snapping you out of your staring. You hadn't realized you had been looking at him for so long. A blush was felt creeping upon your cheeks.

"S-sorry, commander, I just..." You trailed off. You didn't want to seem like you were judging him or anything, because you really weren't. You were simply interested in his anatomy. Interacting with alien species had always been a difficult thing for you, you didn't quite know how to handle a situation like this even after going to Starfleet Academy, where there were hundreds of aliens attending. Saru tilted his head to the opposite side, seemingly confused with you.

"...Lieutenant, if you are having an issue with me, feel free to-"

"No, no commander, it's just that, well," trying your best to not sound weird, you continued, "you have very interesting anatomy."

To your surprise, the commander did not take issue with your statement. He simply nodded, straightening his back.

"Ah, yes, I've gotten that a lot since attending Starfleet Academy. Especially among us scientists. It is alright, lieutenant, do not feel bad about feeling this way," Saru comforted you, with you nodding in response. Feeling relieved that you had avoided a possibly-awkward moment, you smiled.

"Um, sorry for interrupting you earlier as well, commander..." You looked down to the floor. Saru pat your shoulder a little.

"Again, lieutenant, do not feel bad. I understand. You humans are a very curious species, yet you are also so... Quick to avoid certain situations, much like how you did now. I completely understand this," Saru spoke as he stepped around the lab. You turned to face him, watching him walk.

"Are you... Referring to your species' instincts, commander?" Saru nodded at your question.

"Yes. As you probably know already, my species is prey on my home-world," Saru began, "and as a species, we evolved to sense imminent danger. My species learned and evolved to be quick to leave a dangerous place." You nodded your head in acknowledgement.

"I... Actually did not know that, commander," you confessed, and Saru looked to you with a surprised look. "I always figured your threat ganglia was evolved through other means."

"That is completely fine, lieutenant. Being a "newly discovered" species, I'm not surprised you don't know too much on my species' anatomy," Saru stopped pacing and looked to you. Shrugging your shoulders, you walked over to the commander.

"Commander, I..." You started, but you didn't quite know how to finish. You wanted to see his threat ganglia, but didn't know how to or if that was even appropriate to ask. Saru looked down to you, cocking his head to the side and waiting for you to finish your sentence. You had a faint blush on your face.

"I... Don't know if this is appropriate to ask, but... May I see your threat ganglia?" You let your question out, and Saru seemed a bit surprised at your question. Perhaps he had never been asked such a thing before.

"Oh, well... While that isn't inappropriate, that's a bit difficult to answer, lieutenant," Saru rubbed the back of his neck a little, "it's not easy to force them out. I need to be by real danger for them to come out." You nodded your head. Of course, that would make sense, you couldn't really imagine forcing your senses to come out like that would be very easy.

"Ah, well, I apologize then, commander..." You looked down to the floor again, slightly embarrassed. Saru shook his head and placed his hand on your shoulder.

"It's quite alright. Again, I can understand your curiosity," Saru reassured you as you looked back up to him. Smiling, you couldn't help but just look into his bright blue eyes. They were magnificent; unlike anything you had ever seen before. They were so striking and deep. Saru seemed to take notice to how deeply you were staring into his eyes, as he turned his face away slightly and backed up a little. He almost seemed embarrassed.

"I think it's time I let you get back to your work, lieutenant," Saru said as he turned. Suddenly, you gently placed a hand on his arm, grabbing his attention once more making him turn back to face you.

"Those samples I think can wait, commander... I'd like to try something with you, if you wouldn't mind," your smile widened as you spoke. Saru was intrigued now, characteristically tilting his head once more.

"What did you want to try, lieutenant?"

"I would like to try making your threat ganglia come out," you said with a smirk cutting into your smile. Saru seemed a bit taken back, almost confused at your proposal.

"You're very adamant on seeing them, aren't you?" He said, caution in his voice. You gave a small giggle.

"What can I say? I'm human, I'm curious." You stepped closer to Saru, studying his face. Again, he turned his face away and stepped over to the desk once more.

"...I suppose we could try," Saru nodded and sighed. Yes! Mission accomplished- well, not quite. Now was the really hard part; actually getting the ganglia to come out.

"How do you propose we do this then, lieutenant? It is your idea, so I expect that you already have a-" you interrupted him by pulling a scalpel up suddenly, right up to his chest. He let out a gasp.

"Lieutenant! Be careful with that, what do you think you're-..." Saru at that point remembered what you were trying to do, and let out a sigh. You pulled the scalpel away from him, placing it back onto the desk of which you had found it on. His ganglia had not come out, unfortunately.

"If you're planning on doing something like that again, lieutenant, warn me!"

"But what would be the point in that? You'd be expecting it, the opposite of what we're trying to do here. We need to make your threat ganglia come out, meaning there can be no warnings to danger." Saru sighed and nodded his head again as you explained, relaxing his once-tense body.

"Yes, yes, well... Go on then, let's try that again," Saru leaned back against the desk. You nodded and began to walk around the room, looking for something to possibly frighten him with. A small drawer caught your eye, so you slid it open to reveal the small packages of bandaging inside. These were for emergencies, but most of the time were useless since the medical bay was not far off from the labs. You took one of the plastic packages in hand, looking down at it. You could feel Saru's eyes boring into your back.

Suddenly, you turned your body and threw the package at the commander. Saru let out a gasp, quickly dodging the package. The plastic crunched as it hit the wall behind Saru, then fell to the floor to let out another small crunch. You sighed, seeing as Saru's threat ganglia still did not come out.

"Quick reflexes, commander. Still no results yet though," you shook your head and Saru did the same.

"That would also be from my species' evolution; we learned to be quick to flee from danger," Saru explained as you continued pacing around the room. You looked to a table of medical tools, of which you scientists also used to examine specimens. They all glistened in the white light of the room. A scalpel caught your attention. This one had a bigger blade than the last one you had used on Saru. It appeared to be sharper as well- a factor that might get his ganglia to stop being stubborn.

You picked up the scalpel, holding it comfortably in your hand. Holding it at your side, you turned to face Saru, but stood in place. You stared at him, and he tilted his head.

"Lieutenant?" He asked, already his face starting to show discomfort as you continued to silently stare at him. Occasionally you could see him glance down at the sharp blade in your hand. You then took one step forward. This surprised Saru slightly. Silently, you took one more slow step forward. Saru then backed away a little, now obviously uncomfortable with the situation. The way you were ominously staring at him with a weapon in hand seemed to set him off, yet his ganglia continued to hide from view.

As you continued taking steps forward, Saru took steps back on his seemingly hoof-like feet. You stared him right in the eyes as you slowly advanced towards him. He looked around nervously, backing away more and not taking notice he was nearing a wall.

"L-Lieutenant, are you alright?" His voice was a good indicator that he truly was uncomfortable with the situation as of right now. Saru had a slight stutter with that line, when he almost never did at any other time. You ignored his inquiry though, but now sped up your paces. You could hear him let out a small gasp again.

Then, out of no where, you quickly ran at the commander and pushed him against the wall with all the force you could muster without hurting him. Saru was taller than you, making him heavier so you had to apply extra strength to push him. He let out a yelp, holding his hands up in weak defense against the now obvious threat that was you.

Still, no ganglia showed. You let out a small grunt as you brought the scalpel up to his chest again. You could see Saru try to pull himself back from the blade to no avail, as the wall stood in the way. This whole time, you kept a straight, almost silently sinister look on your face. This seemed to aid in being a threat.

"L-Lieutenant, I-!" You interrupted Saru as you quickly brought the scalpel right up in front of his face. He visibly began to quiver.

Then finally, you could see something peak out from those crevices on the side of his head. You brought yourself closer to him, still keeping the blade in front of his face, and tried to get a better look at what was happening before you. You kept a hand against his chest to keep him still. Small, gray, tendril-like structures then protruded from the sides of his head. First you could only see one, but then you could see four more appear. In total, these gray tendrils amounted to five. At their base, they connected and it seemed to be solid at that part.

"L-lieutenant? I-I, um..." Saru stuttered, raising a hand to point at the scalpel that was so very close to his face now. You looked to him and let out a small gasp, embarrassed that you did not notice it before.

"O-oh, commander, I apologize! I'm just so..."

"Fascinated? Congratulations, you officially threatened me enough for my ganglia to appear," he huffed a little. You lowered the scalpel once again, only realizing now how close you were standing to the commander. You blushed slightly but looked up to him to peer into his eyes once more.

You both stood there then, looking at each other at close proximity. It was silent, except for both yours and his breathing. You blushed deeply, realizing how odd this scene would have looked to an on-looker. You turned your head away from Saru, embarrassed.

"..Lieutenant?" Saru gently took a hold of your arms, causing you to gasp gently and look back up into his blue eyes. Your blush deepened.

"C-... Commander?.." You answered back, tilting your head slightly. Saru then gently let out an awkward cough, gently pushing you away and stepping away from both you and the wall.

"W-well, um, again, congratulations. Now, uh, I believe I should be on the Bridge," Saru awkwardly spoke. You nodded, covering your face with one hand to hide your blush.

"U-uh.. See you later, commander?"

"Yes, um, see you later."

Saru quickly walked over to the door, but then stopped. He turned his head slightly to you.

"...Do not worry- I will not put this in any sort of report. If asked at all, I will say it was for scientific purposes. Which, it was but..." Saru shook his head before he could go off on a whole tangent. You nodded.

"Goodbye, commander."

"Yes. Goodbye, lieutenant."

And with that, the door slid open and Saru walked out of the room.


	2. Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in a while!! Every single time I watch Discovery, I tell myself I'll update this fic but then... I forget. XD; A lot of this story is built on my headcanons for the Kelpiens! At the time of writing this, we still don't have too much information on Saru's species so I'm trying to do the best I can with making possible headcanons to further this story. If this fic conflicts with any future information, sorry but I probably won't be changing it! ;v;''
> 
> A friend of mine just wrote a Saru fic as well, and its smutty so if anyone is interested in that you can take a look at it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12670977 ;3c

It was time for your break. You had just finished working in the labs, and your mind was exhausted. Looking at data all morning can be very tiring, after all. You stepped into the cafeteria and headed over to the food synthesizer. You were pretty hungry; you had forgotten to eat breakfast this morning, and some of your friends in the lab scolded you for this.

"Computer- chicken soup with a glass of ice tea, please," you spoke to the food synthesizer. You waited as it shut, and listened to the sounds of the machine doing its work. The machine finished synthesizing your meal and opened once more, presenting to you a very appetizing soup with a tall glass of ice tea. You lifted the tray of food and looked around, scanning the room for a place to sit. Most of the crewmen were already sitting with others, in the middle of conversations or enjoying meals. You were not the type to barge in on others' time together, so you continued looking as you slowly walked among the tables and chairs. You then saw lieutenant commander Saru, who was also on break. He was enjoying some tea, and reading off of a PADD. The senior officer was sitting alone, so you figured he may not mind the company. You wanted to ask him about the small "incident" you two had about a week ago.

"Sir, I hope I am not intruding on anything," you spoke softly as you approached him. The Kelpien looked up to you from his PADD, and he shook his head. '

"Oh, no, of course not lieutenant. You may sit if you'd like," he gestured to the seat across from him. You smiled and sat, setting your tray on the table. The lieutenant commander took a sip of his tea.

"So, I.. I wanted to ask you about what happened a week ago," you began, and he tilted his head in his usual, curious fashion. "We hadn't really spoken to each other properly since then, and I wanted to know if you were alright after that." The Kelpien nodded and gave a small smile.

"No, do not worry about it lieutenant," Saru spoke with a friendly tone, "you were curious, and just wanted to see more of my anatomy." You nodded, taking a small sip of your soup from a spoon. You were relieved- you did not want to have to start avoiding a senior officer over one odd incident. Not only that, but you viewed Saru as almost a friend. Of course, you never really told yourself he _is_ your friend, as he was your senior officer and interpersonal fraternization was seen as inappropriate between senior officers and those of lower ranking. The First Officer was merely very friendly to most of the crew, so you took his kindness as just being polite rather than an actual relationship.

You looked down at the PADD he held in his slender hand, cocking your head to the side. He seemed to be rather absorbed in what he was reading.

"May I ask what you are reading, sir?" You asked. Saru looked up at you from his reading once again, and he nodded.

"Just some old literature, from Earth. I have found your peoples' old writing very fascinating," Saru explained and he sipped his tea. You raised your eyebrow, your curiosity piqued.

"What specifically are you reading, sir?"

"It is called  _Romeo and Juliet_ , by William Shakespeare. Have you heard about him?" You tried not to let out a small giggle as he read out the title. Really? Out of all the old literature he could read from Earth, he chose  _Romeo and Juliet._ You almost felt embarrassed not only for him, but the rest of the human race. Such a cheesy story was sure to give Saru an odd impression on ancient humans. Saru had a look of confusion on his face from how you had attempted to stifle a laugh.

"I apologize, sir, it's just," you giggled a bit, "I did not expect you to be interested in such a genre." Saru shrugged, he almost seemed embarrassed himself.

"W-well, it's not that I am interested in romance in particular, I just... Find it fascinating how you humans interpreted it in writing. Humans have such interesting ways of dealing with love and loss," Saru went on a small tangent. You could not help but look into those wonderful eyes of his as he spoke. They were just so lovely, so deep and captivating to peer into. You realized you were staring again, so you took yourself out of your trance.  
  
"Well, I hope you realize that it is a work of fiction," you gave another small giggle, "humans aren't  _that_ dramatic, as the story may have you believe."

"But stories such as this will have their origins, no matter how far off the finished story may actually be from the truth," Saru interjected. You nodded. "The idea of a young couple going so far as to commit suicide over love is quite chilling, however- sometimes I question human morality with these stories I read," the Kelpien joked and chuckled, and you giggled along with him. It was nice to see Saru enjoying himself while reading into human culture, even if it was rather ancient by now. You were always interested in how other sentient species interpreted the culture of the human race. You were rather curious about Kelpien culture, as Saru never often talked about his homeworld at all.

"What is the literature like on your planet, sir?" You asked, and Saru seemed to pause for a moment. His face seemed to go somber for a moment, and he took a small sip of his tea.

"...I-I apologize sir, if that was a question you are not-"

"I-it's fine, it's fine, lieutenant..." Saru shook his head. "My... Homeworld, Kelpia, did not have much for literature. At least, not for my species anyways," Saru confessed and you nodded, your face serious. It seems as though Saru was about to open up to you a little.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" You asked and Saru paused again for a small moment.

"Well, you know my species is a species of prey, hunted and bred by apex predators... Because of this we were unable to really express ourselves through writing or other forms of art. We never felt safe enough to do that kind of thing." Saru let out a small sigh as he put down his PADD. You felt guilty- perhaps it was not a good idea to ask him this. He seemed to want to continue though.

"The other species on our planet, however, did have that kind of freedom. They never shared it with us, though. In fact most, if not all, of the Kelpiens are not capable of reading or writing," he explained further. You nodded, listening to him. You felt bad for him, now knowing that for the longest time in his life he was unable to do so many things that humans had been capable of doing for millennia.

"So, when you came to Earth, that's when you started to learn everything you know now?" you asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. My experiences on Earth are probably the safest I've ever felt. But, now that we are at war..." Saru trailed off, and you could see in his cyan eyes that he was frightened. You nodded, giving him a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, sir," you tried to comfort him. Saru nodded.

"Do not say sorry if there is nothing to be sorry for, lieutenant. This war is not the worst state I've been in." Saru tried to make light of the situation, but you could still see in his eyes that he was frightened. Saru looked down at his tea.

"Oh dear, my tea has gone cold," Saru let out a sigh. You noticed that your soup had gone cold as well.

"Ah, I apologize sir, that would be my fault..."

"No, it is alright lieutenant, it is my own fault for not paying attention," Saru shrugged and looked at your soup, "and it appears that I was not the only one that wasn't paying attention." You let out a small giggle, trying to lift the mood. The lieutenant commander chuckled as well. Saru then stood, lifting his PADD and nodding to you.

"Well, I thank you for your company, lieutenant," the Kelpien smiled and you gave him a smile in return. "Its best I take my leave now, I may be needed on the Bridge."

"No need for thanks, sir," you waved, and watched as he walked out from the cafeteria. You looked down at your cold soup. You didn't want to get up to reheat it, so you decided to just eat it the way it was. You ate, reminiscing on your conversation with Saru. You pondered whether or not he had told anyone else this information before, and the look of fear in his eyes stayed in your mind.

Even if the conversation may have been painful for Saru, you were thankful. Thankful he opened up to you. And perhaps he was thankful, too, that he could tell someone a bit of his life.


	3. Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the USS Shenzhou are allowed to take a shore leave on the planet of Andoria, and Saru is having a small personal trouble with this idea.

You heard the door to the biology lab slide open as you worked at a table. You turned your head to see the tall, pale-pink Kelpien that was Saru. With a smile, you turned your whole body to face him.

"Hello sir," you greeted him. The lieutenant commander gave a small nod as the door slid closed behind him.

"Hello, lieutenant. I'm sure you're aware that we've almost arrived to Andoria?" he asked you. You tilted your head to the side a little. You weren't aware of any stop to Andoria.

"Ah, no, I don't remember being told that... Why are we stopping on that ice-ball?" you said jokingly, chuckling.

"Ahah, well, the captain was asked by the higher-ups at Starfleet to meet with an Andorian ambassador. It has something to do with the tension between Vulcan and Andoria, but Starfleet wasn't too clear on what would be happening," Saru explained. "The captain said that while she was busy dealing with the ambassador, the rest of the crew could partake in a little shore leave."

You nodded, perking up at the words 'shore leave'. It had been a very long time since the crew had a break, and  _boy_  did you need one. Everyone did. Work was hard on a science vessel after all. With a smile, you walked up to the senior officer.

"Will you be taking part in the shore leave, sir?" you asked. Saru shook his head.

"The captain said I could, but... I would rather stay on the ship," he said, shrugging slightly. You couldn't help but frown a little.

"Why? You've been on Andoria, haven't you?"

"Of course I have," Saru answered. "...For training, but yes, I have," he then added. Starfleet cadets would have to go through training which included being put into different environments, so of course he would have gone to Andoria. That planet was incredibly cold and icy; perfect for training in colder climates. However, being on a planet for a mission or training is different from actually being there for fun.

"Well I think it would be good for you. You're on an exploration vessel; you need to actually  _explore_ ," you said with a small grin. Saru's gaze fell to the floor a little. He seemed to be troubled. Your grin faded and you looked up at his eyes. "Is there something wrong, sir?" you asked. The Kelpien then fixed his gaze back to you.

"O-oh, of course, lieutenant, it's just..." Saru's voice then trailed off. You stepped closer to him as your face softened, giving a more sympathetic look. The chief science officer gave a sigh as he looked around, seeming as though he wanted to make sure no one else was in the room to hear what he was about to say.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving the ship for something like this," he then confessed. Your eyebrows furrowed slightly, confused as to why.

"Why not?" you asked. Saru seemed hesitant to answer and his gaze fell to the ground once more. Stepping forward, you gently placed a hand on his arm. His blue eyes then looked to you. The Kelpien took in a breath, then spoke.

"Every time we have had a shore leave, I've noticed that crewmen often go in pairs or groups," he began. "They'll explore together, taking in the culture of the planet's inhabitants or enjoy the scenery." Saru then paused. You nodded, showing you were listening. Again, the science officer seemed hesitant and he fell silent.

"Yes, most of the crewmen have friends on the ship, sir... what does that have to do with your problem?" you asked. Saru looked away for a moment, then sighed.

"What I'm trying to say is... I don't exactly  _have_ a companion for that," he finally confessed. "First Officer Burnham is the only person I actually talk to on a regular basis, but she's usually with the captain during shore leaves so I can't go with her."

You then understood. Saru didn't want to go around the planet alone, since that would make him stand out compared to the mostly human crew. You then gently smiled as you softly rubbed Saru's arm.

"Sir, you don't need to worry about that. I can accompany you, if you wish," you offered and his head lifted in surprise.

"You... would actually like to do that?" he asked, seeming to be in disbelief. Giggling, you nodded.

"Of course! I would love to," you said happily. Saru then gave a smile, which almost surprised you. You never got to really see him smile, which was a shame because you found his smile to be so sweet. Slightly shy and reserved, but still sweet. Saru then gave an awkward little cough as he stepped forward.

"Alright, well, since you want to go on this shore leave with me... I suppose we shall," he said. You couldn't help but giggle again. He looked at you and tilted his head. "What's so funny, lieutenant?"

"Nothing," you said with a big smile. "I'm just very happy." Saru nodded and chuckled.

"Good. I thought for a moment there I had said something wrong," Saru said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, and while we're down there, it wouldn't be such a bad idea for the chief science officer and a fellow biologist to get a few good looks at anything scientifically significant." You then shook your head and pat his arm gently.

"No. No working while on shore leave," you said in a firm but joking tone. You then made your way to the table that you were working at earlier, which Saru followed you to.

"I'm only making a suggestion. It would be good for us. We are scientists, as well as explorers, lieutenant."

"No working while on shore leave, sir," you replied with amusement in your tone again. Saru gave a small sigh but gently laughed.

"Fine, fine. As soon as we arrive at Andoria, we will meet in the transporter room, is that alright?" he asked. You gave a nod as you started organizing your workstation.

"Of course. See you later then, sir." You gave a big smile to Saru. The Kelpien smiled back.

"See you later, lieutenant."

\---

The ship arrived at Andoria a little while later. Earlier you had gone to your quarters in order to get out of your uniform, so you were already in a much more casual outfit compared to your usual Starfleet-blues. Of course, because you were going to spend time on Andoria, you had to wear warm clothes. A Starfleet-branded parka as well as some warm trousers worked well in situations like these. You began to make your way to the transporter room, thinking about what you and Saru would do while exploring the icy planet together. Well, the underground of the planet; Andorian cities were built underground as the surface was too cold to live on. Andorians used geothermal activity for energy.

Arriving at the transporter room, you saw Saru. He too was in the same warm clothing as you. You gave him a small grin and a wave.

"You look warm, Saru," you said with a giggle. Saru shrugged with a reserved smile.

"Well of course. My homeworld is rather temperate compared to other planets and I don't have any form of body hair, so I must dress warm in occasions like these," he said. Somehow he always managed to go on small tangents on the simplest of things, but it was almost cute in a way. You stepped up beside him and noticed a small bag Saru was wearing over his shoulder.

"What's in the bag?" Saru seemed hesitant to answer your question. You raised an eyebrow and immediately guessed what the science officer was carrying in his bag; a tricorder. "I thought I said no working while on shore leave, sir," you laughed and Saru rolled his eyes, chuckling with you.

"It's just in case we find something interesting, lieutenant."

"Andoria has already been surveyed by Andorians themselves, I don't think we're gonna be finding anything new on the planet, sir." Both you and Saru then made your way onto the transporter platform and each stood on a pad next to each other. The transporter chief looked to Saru.

"Are you ready, sir?" the crewman asked. Saru nodded.

"Yes. Energize," the Kelpien ordered. Within a few moments, you and Saru then materialized on the planet's surface. Immediately you both shivered and held onto yourselves for a little warmth. You looked up to Saru, who's teeth were chattering slightly.

"Are you alright, sir?" Saru quickly nodded.

"I-I'll be fine lieutenant," he replied with a stutter. The cold really seemed to be bothering him; the parka wasn't enough to keep him decently warm.

"I'd offer you my jacket, but I need it too," you tried to joke.

"I-it wouldn't fit me anyways, but thank you for the thought," Saru replied with a trembling voice. You looked around and your eyes fell on a building a small distance from yourselves. The grey, ice-covered building was built half inside of a mountain.

"That must be the way to the underground, let's hurry before your threat ganglia freeze off." With a small giggle you began to make your way to the building and the lieutenant commander quickly followed beside you.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading this short chapter!! i know it's been a huge gap between updates, but i fandom hop a lot so it's hard for me to focus on stories like this lmao.
> 
> i noticed a mistake that i also made in previous chapters; i keep referring to saru as 'commander' when i should be calling him 'lieutenant', since hes just a lieutenant commander. i'll be fixing these mistakes when i can find the time, i promise!!! if there are any other continuity mistakes, feel free to let me know and i can do my best to fix them. 
> 
> again, thank you for reading and if you're still here from when this fic first came out; thank you for staying interested!! ;v; it means so much to me!!


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